Automatically extensible fly swatter



March 21, 1939. SQUPLY 2,151,242

AUTOMATICALLY EXTENSIBLE FLY SWATTER Filed Aug. 3, 1938 571' Am 472g.

Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES AUTOMATICALLY EXTENSIBLE- FLY SWATTER Elie Souply, Broomfield, Colo.

Application August 3,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in automatically extensible fly swatters.

Flies are generally recognized as very annoying pests and are usually plentiful during warm weather.

When flies enter a building, such as a residence, they must be killed and for this purpose a great variety of devices have been invented, the simplest of which is the ordinary fly swatter comprising a handle to one end of which a piece of wire screen is attached. Such swatters are very eflicient for killing flies sitting on a table or on the wall within easy reach but are practically useless for flies sitting on the ceiling or in places that are normally out of reach.

It is the object of this invention to produce a fly swatter of such construction that it can be effectively employed for killing flies sitting on the ceiling or on the wall and which can therefore be used as an auxiliary to the ordinary swatter to effectively exterminate the flies in a room or in a building.

This invention, briefly described, consists of along handle, of any suitable material, to one end of which a screen-covered ring or swatter element is telescopically attached. A resilient element, such as a spring or a rubber band is connected with the handle and the support for the swatter element and tensioned to urge it outwardly. When the swatter element is moved inwardly on the handle so as to tension the resilient member, and then released it will be projected by the resilient means so that it will be shot out in the direction in which the handle is pointed. The swatter can be directed upwardly toward the ceiling or horizontally towards the Wall and pointed at the fly to be killed and when the swatter element is released it will shoot forwardly and kill the fly. Since the handle can be made of any length it is evident that flies can be easily killed on the ceiling, even if this is very high.

Having thus briefly described the invention, the same will now be described in detail and for this purpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention has been illustrated in its preferred form and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the entire device, the position of the parts when the swatter is projected being shown by dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing portions of the device to substantially full size; and

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are transverse sections 1938, Serial No. 222,879

taken respectively on lines 3-3; 44; 5-5; and

66, Fig. 2.

In the drawing reference numeral 1 designates a handle, which in the embodiment illustrated is of wood but which may be of any other suitable material, such as a metal tube. The end of the handle that is nearest the top of the drawing will be referred to as the "upper end. It will be seen that the handle is provided near the upper end with two pairs of eyelets, one pair on each side, the eyelet of each pair being longitudinally spaced. Slidably connected with the handle is a fly swatter element 9 which is secured to the upper ends of the support bars it) which pass through the eyelets and whose lower ends are electro-welded at diametrically opposite points to the small ring II which encircles the handle. The swatter element comprises a ring I2 to which a woven wire screen I3 is attached by means of a braid IA. The upper ends of the support bars H! are bent outwardly at right angles forming lateral portions I5 whose ends are electro-welded to the large ring l2 at diametrically opposed points 16.

Small ring H has an outward bend I! to which one end of a rubber band I8 is attached. The other end of the rubber band is attached to an eyelet l9 positioned nearer the upper end of the handle. The length of the band is so proportioned relative to the minimum distance from the small ring to the eyelet or anchor l9 that it will always be under suiflcient tension to hold the parts with ring ll against the lowermost eyelet 8 of each pair, and this therefore serves as stops for limiting the outward movement of ring II and the swatter element. The screen I3 may serve as a stop for limiting the downward movement of the swatter.

A cord 20 is attached at one end to ring II and passes through an eyelet 2| positioned near the lower end of the handle and a ring 22 is attached to the lower end of the cord.

When a fly is to be killed the operator grasps the handle with one hand and the ring 22 with the other and pulls the swatter element support downwardly and then points the device at the fly holding it so near that the swatter 9 will strike the wall or the ceiling when he releases his hold on ring II. It will be observed that whenever the swatter is moved downwardly against the tension of the resilient member l8 and then released it will be projected upwardly with a force commensurate with the strength of the elastic member.

The specific embodiment shown is illustrative only and it is contemplated that such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A fiyswatter comprising in combination, an elongated handle, a support comprising two parallel members, a swatter element carried by the outer end of the support, two pairs of guide elements, one on each side of the handle, each pair of guide elements cooperating with one of the support members, resilient means connected with the handle and the support, tensioned to urge the support towards the end of the handle whereby when the support is moved inwardly on the handle so as to increase the tension of the resilient means and then released, the support will be urged outwardly along the handle, and means for limiting the outward movement of the support; 7

2. A flyswatter comprising a handle provided on opposite sides with guides, a swatter support, comprising two parallel spaced members, one positioned on each side of the handle in cooperative slidable engagement with the guides whereby the support can move longitudinally relative to the handle, a swatter element carried by the free end of the support, the plane of said element being substantially perpendicular to the axis of the support, stops for limiting the relative movement of the support and the handle, and resilient means attached to the handle and the support for urging the latter outwardly in the direction of the swatter element wherebywhen the support is moved inwardly on the handle and released it will be projected forwardly by theresilient means.

3. In a flyswatter having a handle and a flyswatter support slidable thereon, saidisupport comprising two coaxial rings of different diameter positionedin parallel planes and spaced apart, two parallel support bars attached at one of their ends to diametrical points on the smaller ring,

the other ends of the supports being bent out- 1 bination, a handle having two pairs of diametrically positioned and longitudinally spaced eyelets forming guides, a straight support bar slidably connected with each pair of eyelets, the ends of the support bars that project through the inner eyelets being connected with a small ring which 

